In recent years, development of technology for wirelessly transmitting electric power (electric energy) without using power supply cords and the like has become popular. Among methods for wirelessly transmitting electric power, the technique called a magnetic resonance method is gaining particular attention. The magnetic resonance method was proposed by a research group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2007. The related technology is disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese PCT National Publication No. 2009-501510), for example.
In a wireless electric power transmission system of the magnetic resonance method, a resonance frequency of a power transmission antenna is equal to a resonance frequency of a power receiving antenna. Therefore, from the power transmission antenna to the power receiving antenna, energy can be efficiently transmitted. One of major features is that the power transmission distance can be from several tens of centimeters to several meters.
In the above wireless electric power transmission system of the magnetic resonance method, if one of the antennas is mounted on a moving object such as an electric vehicle, the arrangement of the antennas would change each time the transmission of electric power is carried out. Accordingly, the frequency that gives an optimum electric power transmission efficiency would vary. Therefore, what is proposed is a technique for determining an optimum frequency for actual transmission of charging power by sweeping frequencies before the transmission of electric power takes place. For example, what is disclosed in Patent Document 1 (JP2010-68657A) is: a wireless electric power transmission device, which includes AC power output means for outputting AC power of a predetermined frequency, a first resonance coil, and a second resonance coil that is disposed in such a way as to face the first resonance coil and in which AC power output from the AC power output means is output to the first resonance coil and the AC power is transmitted to the second resonance coil in a non-contact manner through resonance phenomena, is characterized by including frequency setting means for measuring a resonance frequency of the first resonance coil and a resonance frequency of the second resonance coil and setting the frequency of the AC power output from the AC power output means to an intermediate frequency of the resonance frequencies.
Patent Document 1: Japanese PCT National Publication No. 2009-501510
Patent Document 2: JP2010-68657A